Half to william b



I(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

P. B. PREISMUTH. MASK ATTACHMENT POR PRINTING PRESSES. No. 439,870.

Patented Nov. 4, 1890.

| hllnulm WZNESSES.

(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

F. B. PREISMUTH. MASK ATTACHMENT EOE EETNTING PRESSES.

N0. 439,870. Pateted Nov. 4, 1890,.

Egg?. 3.,

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ B. FREISMUTH, OF INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TO WILLIAM B. BURFORD, OF SAME PLAGE.

MASK ATTACHMENT FOR PRINTING-PRESSES.

forming part of Letters Patent No. 439,870, dated November 4, 1890.

Applicationiiled November 19, 1889. Serial No. 330,872. (No model.)

To a/ZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ B. FREISMUTH, a citizen of the United States, residing at Indianapolis,in the county of Marion and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mask Attachments for Printing-Presses, of which the following is a specification.

The object of n1y said invention is to provide an attachment for printing-presses (principally designed for use with power lithographing-presses) by which the margin of the stone or plate from which the print or impression is taken may be masked automatically as the press performs its work. This object is accomplished by attaching to the cylinder of the press a preferably rectanguiar frame, the sides of which are composed of spring metal, and which is adapted to carry the shellaeked paper or other material of which the mask is composed.

The invention further consists in certain means by which the size of the opening is rendered adjustable, and by which said frame may be held to proper position during its various movements, as will be hereinafter more particularly described and claimed.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, which are made a part hereof, and on which similar letters of reference indicate similar parts, Figure l is a perspective view of a printing-press provided with my4 improved attachment; Fig. 2, a detail sectional View on the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. 3 through the cylinder and immediately adjacent parts on an enlarged scale, showing the relation of my attachment thereto more plainly; Fig. 3, an elevation as seen from the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2 of the cylinder and my attachment when the latter is in the position it occupies when the machine is at rest and temporarily at a certain period in each revolution of the cylinder when in operation and Figs. 4, 5, 6, 7, and 8, small detail sectional views on the dotted lines 4 4, 5 5, a part of 2 2, 7 7, and 8 8 in Fig. 3, respectively.

In said drawings, the portions marked A represent the frame-Work of the printingpress 5 B, the cylinder thereto; C, the iexible frame of my improved attachment; D, ilexible strips attached to said frame and constituting the sides of the mask; E, a frame mounted on the frame-work A of the press and provided with a catch for holding my attachment in upright position, and F, F', and F2 shafts adjacent to and parallel with the cylinder, bearing rollers or sheaves for guiding and holding my improved attachment to proper position during the operation of the press. The frame A and the cylinder B, as well as most of the other mechanism of this press, is or may be of any usual or desired character which may be employed in presses suitable for my purpose. The cylinder B, however, has a depression or groove (commonly just below the gripper) which receives the lower crossbar of the fiexible frame.

The frame of my attachment is composed of two sides C, formed of spring metal, oommonly thin sheet-steel, and two cross-bars C' and C2. rlhe lower cross-bar C is attached directly to the cylinder, in a groove ordepression therein, by means of screws or bolts, and said cross-bar is provided with a considerable number of screw-holes, by means of which a strip D', for holding the lower ends of the mask-frame proper, may be secured, as will be presently more fully described. The sides C are wrapped around the bar O at the lower end and riveted or otherwise firmly secured thereto, Jand are also riveted or otherwise firmly secured to the cross-bar C2 at the upper end, thus forming a strong frame. They should be so tempered that, while they are iiexible and yielding, and thus adapted to be wrapped around the cylinder of the press in operation, to which position they are forced by the provided means, they are still adapted to spring out when released from engagement and fly to an upright position, in which position this frame is held for a brief period during each revolution by a catch on the frame-work E, as will be presently more fully described.

In order to aid the operation of throwing out the frames when they escape from the devices which hold them against the cylinder, I have provided supplemental springs c inside the lower ends of the sides C to the frame. These are usually separate springs; but, if desired, the lower ends of the sides C might be continued up for some distance inside the main portions. after being wrapped around lOO the cross-bar C', and thus form these supplef mental springs. The strips D are also of exible metal; but are usually thinner than the sides of the frame, and need not possess the same degree of resiliency. They are secured at their lower ends to the cross-bar C of the frame by means of a small clamp-plate D', which rests against the outside of said bar C', and is there held by screws or bolts. This clamp-plate D is provided with a considerable number of holes, so that the screws or bolts may be passed through at any desired point, and thus be adapted to clamp the lower ends of the strips D in position at any point which may be desired, thus providing for an adjustment of said strips D toward and from each other in adjusting the apparatus for smaller or larger work. They are also similarly adjustable on the upper cross-bar C2 of the frame by means of either a clamp-plate similar to the clamp-plate D or small short clamp-plates d d', as shown, the latter on account of the reduced weight being preferable. Numerous holes in the cross-bar C2 are provided for this adjustment. By this means these strips D are capable of being located at just the distance apart that is necessary to properly mask the margin of the size of sheet being printed. Cross-strips D2 are attached to the strips D and are adjustable thereon in the direction opposite to that in which the strips themselves are adjustable, thus providing all the adjustments necessary to mask all the margins of any desired size of sheet. As screws or any such devices if used to attach the Strips D and D2 together would be likely to work loose and fall into the press or onto the plate being printed from, I employ as a means of attachment small brass pins or paper-fasteners d, which being put through t-he holes and bent outwardly are, because of their toughness, not likely to be broken off or become detached. Instead of these fasteners ne flexible wires might be used, and t-hus after a manner sew these parts together.

The catch-frame (which is rigidly attached to the printing-press) consists of two sides of uprights E, with a cross-bar E at the top, which is made adjustable thereon, as shown, and has a swinging catch e attached thereto at a central point. This catch has a jackknife joint, which permits it to swing freely in one direction, but prevents it from being moved in the other, and thus when the frame C flies up, after having been released from engagement as it passes around the'cylinder, it easily passes this catch by its own force, (aided by the supplemental springs c when used,) but is prevented from returning, and the parts can easily be so adjusted in practice that there will be little or no vibration to the mask-frame after it has become engaged with this catch, and said mask-frame is prevented by being so caught from swing ing back and striking the paper on the feedtable or the hands of the operator who is feeding the press.

The shafts F, F', and F2 are mounted in the frame A alongside of and parallel to the cylinder F, one upon each side. The shaft F is located in front of the cylinder above the bed of the press, and carries rollers or sheaves ffV thereon, the faces of which are in close proximity to the face of the cylinder, and hold the sides of the frame of the attachment and the strips forming the sides of the mask-frame closely against the face of said cylinder. These sheaves or rollers f f are adjustable on said shaft, being mounted, preferably, be-

tween collars thereon, which collars are secured in place by means of set-screws, and thus they are capable of being adjusted to correspond with the adjustment of the frame sides and strips, as will be readily understood. The shafts F and F2 are located on other sides of the cylinder and carry similar sheaves or roll` ers, which keep the attachment frame in proper relation thereto for the required distance, and prevent it from swinging out away from the cylinder too soon, which it would otherwise do, and thus throw the mask against the stone or plate, and render the whole' attachment liable to be caught in the mechanism of the press, and thus injured or destroyed. Between the shaftsF and F two strips S extend, which aid in guiding and supporting` the device and the paper being printed properly.

The operation is as follows: The press is otherwise fitted up to be run as usual, and my attachment is so adj usted that only the engraved portion of the stone or plate will be exposed through the mask, which consists, as before stated, of the strips D and D2, covered with shellacked paper or other suitable material, the inner edges of which are trimmed to exactly the size required. After all is ready the press is set in motion, and at each revolution, as the stone or plate passes under the cylinder, the mask comes down over the margin thereof, protecting the paper from coming in contact therewith and becoming smeared, as it otherwise would do, as is well understood by those skilled in the art. In each revolution as the frame C escapes from the rollers on the shaft F2 it flies up and becomes engaged with the catch e on the frame E. While it is thus engaged a new sheet of paper is fed to the cylinder in the ordinary and well-known manner and the printingproceeds, as before.

Having thus fully described my said invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the cylinder of a printing-press, of a mask attachment the sides whereof are composed of iexible metal, which are attached at their inner ends to the cylinder. y

2. The combination, in a printing-press, of the cylinder, the mask attachment the sides whereof are composed of flexible metal attached to said cylinder, and a catch-frame mounted on the frame of the press and provided with a catch with which the mask-frame IOO IIO

will engage as it escapes from engagement at each revolution of the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, in amask attachment for printing-presses, of a frame having flexible sides attached to the cylinder, and flexible strips mounted on said frame and constituting the sides of the mask-frame proper, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the cylinder of a printing-press, of a mask attachment connected thereto, the sides whereof are composed of iiexible metal, which connection is formed by means of a clamp-bar D', secured longitudinally to one side of said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

5. The combination of the cylinder B, provided with a cross-bar C', andamask attachment secured to said cylinder by means of said strip, said strip being provided with a considerable number of holes, whereby it can be attached to said cylinder at various points, and adjustment thus provided for, substantially as set forth.

6. Thecombination of the printing-press cylinder B, a mask attachment attached thereto, and a longitudinal shaft or shafts arranged in parallel relation to said cylinder, the surface whereof (or the surface of the rollers thereon) is adapted to bear against the flexible sides of said mask attachment and hold them into close relation to said cylinder, substantially as set forth.

7. The combination, with a printing-press cylinder and a mask attachment attached thereto, of a shaft bearing rollers or pulleys thereon which are adjustable, and are thereby capable of following the adjustment of the strips forming the sides of the mask attachment, substantially as set forth.

8. The combination, with a printing-press cylinder andv a mask attachment attached thereto, of two or more shafts arranged one upon one side above the bed of the press and the other or others upon other sides, whereby the mask attachment is held into close relation to the cylinder during a considerable portion of the revolution thereof, substantially as set forth.

9. The combination of the printing-press cylinder, the mask attachment secured thereto, the shafts F, F', and F2, and the frame E, having a catch e, substantially as set forth.

l0. The combination of the printing-press cylinder, the mask attachment thereto, the frame of which is composed of flexible spring metal, a mask-frame attached to said attachment-frame composed also of iexible metal, two or more shafts bearing rollers which hold said attachment-frame and said mask-frame into close relation to the cylinder during its revolution, and a frame mounted on the frame of the press bearing a catch with which the attachment-frame will engage after escaping from the rollers on the shafts alongside the cylinder, substantially as set forth. ll. The combination of a printing-press cylinder, a mask attachment thereto, the frame whereof is composed of flexible metal, shafts arranged alongside and in parallel relation to the cylinder for guiding said mask-frame, and strips S, extending between said shafts which serve as supports to the paper being printed, substantially as set forth.

12. The combination, with a printing-press cylinder and a mask attachlnent thereto, the frame whereof is composed of iiexible metal, of springs c, located inside therlower ends of the sides of the frame and serving to aid in throwing out said frame as it escapes from the devices which hold it against the cylinder, substantially as set forth.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand and seal, at Indianapolis, Indiana, this 15th day of November, A. D. 1889.

FRANZ B. FREISMUTH. [n s] i Witnesses:

C. BRADFORD, J. WALSH. 

